By Ashley M. Casey
Associate Editor
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, schools and businesses are reopening and stress levels are soaring. Research shows that spending time with animals and doing yoga are both ways to reduce stress. Purpose Farm, a Baldwinsville nonprofit that connects children in crisis with rescued animals, has combined both of those methods with goat yoga.
Goat yoga is just like any yoga class — a series of stretches, poses, breathing and meditation techniques — but with the addition of five goats milling around, sniffing at and climbing on participants. The class is outdoors and hand-washing stations are readily available.
Purpose Farm began offering goat yoga in 2017 as a fundraiser for its youth mentoring program. Executive Director Sandra Seabrook said Purpose Farm offers about 130 sessions of one-on-one youth mentoring each year geared toward children between the ages of 6 and 18 in Onondaga, Oswego and Cayuga counties who have struggled with abuse, neglect, mental health or behavioral issues, and other challenges.
Guided by a Purpose Farm leader, participants help out with farm chores and bond with horses, goats, chickens and other furry and feathered friends.
“The goal of our session program is to show love, build confidence, and relationships,” reads the Purpose Farm website.
Purpose Farm falls under the state’s definition of an essential business, so youth mentoring sessions have continued throughout the pandemic.
“If anything, they’re at a higher demand because everyone’s home and all stressed out,” Seabrook said.
The activities lend themselves well to social distancing.
“You always have a horse in between you,” Seabrook said.
This year, Purpose Farm was hoping to launch a large fundraising event, but the pandemic quashed those plans. Donations and volunteers are down as well.
“A lot of people did the birthday fundraisers on Facebook and that’s been a life-saver for donations this year,” Seabrook said.
Fortunately for Purpose Farm, volunteer numbers are beginning to recover, and the summer sessions of goat yoga have sold out. More dates will be added.
The next session of goat yoga takes place at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5. Admission is $25. Visit purposefarm.org/goat-yoga.html to sign up.
